Double automatic latch.



PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906.

I'. C. ANDBRS. DGUBLB AUTOMATC LATCH.

APPLICATION YILED HAY 24. 1805.

. pressure in the path .of the operating-lever 'UNTTED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. ANDERSON, OF CiNOiNNATl, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'I O THE AMERICAN VALVE & METER COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DOUBLE AUTOMATIC LATCH.

No. 816,136. Patented March 13, 1906.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 24, 1905` Serial No. 261,974.

adapted to receive and sup ort the throwinglever 5. It is also rovi od with 'a slot ada ted to receive tile latch 7, whichis pivoter therein at 8. The stand is provided with a housing 9 for the spring 1() and plunger 11. A stud 12 is preferably secured with- Tr: ali whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I FRANK C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double Automatic Latches, of which the following is a specicain the housing to retain the s ring in proper tion. osition. rlhe housin also orms a stop to My invention relates to double automatic limit the movement o the latch and Spring. latches which are especially adapted to se- 'The yoke is provided with ears 13, having cure switch-operating levers. holes 14 adapted to registerwith a corre- The object of my invention is to secure the spending hole 15 in the latch when it is in its operatinglever of a switch against movenormal position whereby the latch maybe ment under traiiic and to permit the switclisecured bywa loc .or otherwise held from acto erating mechanism to operate automaticing automatically,and I. preferito reduce the a ly under force caused by the train runningA metal sufficientlyv to permit a padlock to be through 'thejswitoh without any damageto used. The iatch7 is prefeahiy constructed, the operatingmechanism. l as clearly shown in Fig. Vwith a double bev- My invention consists in providing an oreled edge 16, which normally projects into dinarv stand with alatch pivoted thereto the slot 4.as shown .in Fig.` 2, having a stop and adapted to be normally held by spring- 11" adapted to engage .the outer edge of the yoke 'and limit the inward throw of the latch to forni a gagefor preventing it from pro3ecting too far into the slot 4, and the latch 7 is Y also preferably cut away near the top to forni shoulders 18, which are adapted to engage ,projections 19 on the walls of the slot 6 o t e yoke to limit the outwaithrow of the latch. The latch 7 is also rovided with an extension 20 to engage t e plunfger 11, which eng rcs the spring 10 to hol said latchnn its .normal position and to automatcaiiy return it to such position after it has been moved out of its normal position. The extension also forms a bearing to throw the latch out of its normal position by foot-pressure instead of automatically, when desired.

It wili be apparentlrthat my invention is capa-bie of somemodication without departure from the scope and s irit thereof-as, for instance, I mayalso emp oy the construction iilustratedin Figs. 9 and 10, which shows a hat spring 21, secured to the base and supported by reinforcement 22, said spring being ada ted to engage the extension 13 of the lato and a guard 23, extending from the base 2 to limit the outward throw of the lSLCh.

By securing the operating-lever automat.- icaliy with my latch the switch is held ositively rigid under traic. By the use o my double automatic latch-switch stands that and to be forced out 'of said path hy said lever in either direction, thus forming a doable automatic latch.

My invention Aalso consists in parts and in the combination and arrangement of partsV as set forth and claimed herein.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective' view showing my double automatic latch enaged with the operatin -lever of a switch.

1g. 2 is a side elevation of my device, partly in section, showing the throwmg-lever 1n section secured to the stand by my double automatic latch. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showingthe lever in section and the latch forced out `of its path thereby. Fig. 5 is a erspective view of the double automatic atch. Fi` 6 is a perspective view of the housing. ig. 7 is a perspective view of the s ring. 8 is a perspective view of the p unger. ig. 9 is a pers eotive view of a pring used with a modi ed construction.

ig. 10 is a side elevation of a modification, showi the lever in section in position similar to t at shown in Fig. 2.

My double automat1c latch is referahiy constructed substantially as follws: The latch comprises a stand 1, having a suitable base 2, whereb it is secured to the ties 3 and is provided with a slot 4, forming a yoke IOO are automatic when locked may be entirely dispensed with, thus giving a perfectly rigid operating-switch which wil permit the operating mechanism to operate automatically when the switch is run through. Switch-operating mechanism which is not automatic when secured rigidly by a latch will not act automatically when the switchis run through, thus causing damage to the operating mechanism, whereas with my double automatic latch securing the operating-lever the switch when run through will act automatically without any damage to the operating inechanism. Automatic switch-operating mechanism may be entirely dispensed with by means of my double automatic latch, which ermits the operating mechanism to be perectly rigid and to be operated automatically when the switch is run through. Automatic switch-operating mechanism which has its throwing-lever rigidly secured may be dispensed with by the use of my double automatic latch which receives and releases the throwing-lever automatically when the switch is run through.

My invention provides means for securing the throwing-lever of switch-operating mechanism either automatically or rigidly, as desired, and if my double automatic latch should be destroyed by accident the switch would not become inoperative.

Switch-operating mechanism which will not act automatically when the throwing-lever is secured will act automatically if the throwing-lever is secured with my double automatic latch.

My double automatic latch prevents the point-rail from being locked or secured open caused by an obstruction between it and the stock-rail because the resistance of the pointA rail against said object would cause the lever to be instantly released from the latch, and thus notify the trainman to remove same and secure the point-rail in proper position.

I claim- 1. In a double automatic latch, a stand adapted to engage a throwing lever, and means for automatically receiving and releasing said lever.

2. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke adapted to engage a throwinglever, and a latch ada ted to automatically receive and release sai( lever.

3. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke adapted to engage a throwinglever, a latch pivoted to said stand, and a s ring adapted to normally hold said latch in t 1e path of said lever to secure the lever in said yoke and allow it to be forced out of the path of said lever moving in either direction.

4. In a double automatic latch, a stand adapted to engage a lever, a latch for automatically receiving and releasing said lever and a stop on said latch adapted to engage eiaiac said stand to limit the inward throw of the latch.

5. In a double automatic latch, a stand adapted to engage a lever, a latch for automatically receiving and releasing said lever and a stop on said latch adapted to en a e 7o ,saidstand to limit the outward throw ogtlgae atc 1.

6. In a double automatic latch, a stand adapted to engage a lever, a spring-actuated latch, and means to limit the movement of the spring.

7. In a double automatic latch, a stand adapted to engage a lever and a latch pivoted thereto having a double-beveled edge, and means for normally holding said latch in the 8o path of the throwing-lever.

8. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke provided with a hole therein, a latch secured to the stand and havin a hole ada ted to register with the hole in the yoke to orm means whereby said latch may be locked in closed position, and means for normally holding said latch in closed position independently of a lock.

9. In a double automatic latch, a stand havinr a yoke rovided with a hole in one wall t iereof, a fatch having a hole with the adjacent wall thereof cut away and ada ted to register with the hole in the stand to fbrm means whereby said latch may be locked in closed position, and means for normally holding said latch in closed position independently of a lock.

10. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke adapted to engage a lever, a latch secured to said'stand, a housing secure to said stand, a spring in said housing, a plunger adapted to engage the said spring, and said latch.

11. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke ada ted to en age a lever, a latch secured to sai stand an provided with an extension to open the latch by foot-pressure.

12. In a double automatic latch, a stand having a yoke adapted to engage a lever, a latch secured to said stand and provided with an extension to open the latch by foot ressure, and means ada ted to engage sai extension to return the atch to its normal position in the path of the throwin -lever.

13. In a double automatic atch, a stand having a yoke adapted to engage a lever, a latch pivoted to said stand, a housing secured to said stand, a sprin within said housing, a stud within said housing to hold the spring in position, and a plunger adapted to engage said spring and latch.

FRANK C. ANDERSON.

IOO

Witnesses:

JAMES N. RAMsEY, CLARENCE L. PERDEW. 

